Posh champagne prank student is close pal of Boris Johnson's daughter

RICHARD EDMOND features prominently in a video of St Andrews students dousing themselves in champagne around the Fife town and has also been snapped with Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Johnson’s teenage daughter.

St Andrews University student Richard Edmond with Lara Johnson-Wheeler the daughter of London mayor Boris Johnson.

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

A POSH student at the centre of an idiotic champagne prank is a close pal of London mayor Boris Johnson’s daughter.

Richard Edmond, who has distinctive bushy dark hair, features prominently in a video of St Andrews undergraduates dousing themselves with £25-a-bottle Moet et Chandon around the Fife town.

And he can also be seen in a number of photographs on the Facebook page belonging to Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Johnson’s 19-year-old daughter.

In the profile picture, Edmond sports a dinner suit and bow tie.

In another snap, he has his arm draped round the Tory toff’s daughter at a function with a banqueting table festooned with booze.

Richard Edmond with Lara Johnson-Wheeler (left) and Nathalie Seidl

Edmond was also pictured in his dinner jacket earlier this month toasting the news that Prince William and Kate, who met at the university, were to become parents.

Yesterday, he and the six other students behind the two-minute video were in hiding and issued a grovelling apology.

In the clip, they were pictured pouring champagne over themselves and in various states of undress all over the university town.

The group, all in their late teens and from Russia, Switzerland, Australia, Scotland and England, even recreated the famous Chariots of Fire scene on the beach.

They said they were trying to outdo students at Newcastle and Durham universities, who poured milk and port on themselves in a YouTube craze.

But their wasteful exploits and flaunting of their wealth, exposed in the Record yesterday, left fellow students furious.

Their statement said: “This was intended as a harmless joke and an attempt to join in on the latest craze that began with ‘milking’ in Newcastle and ‘porting’ in Durham as well as being ironic towards ourselves.

“We would like to apologise to any who were upset or offended by our video. We are deeply remorseful towards any negative effects this may have had on those students who are trying to present a more balanced picture of the university.”

The seven, who are studying various subjects including history, divinity, economics and English, were nowhere to be seen in St Andrews yesterday.

They had all removed their Facebook pages and university bosses ordered them to not answer their phones or reply to emails.

The group were all coming to the end of the first term of their first year and are in the middle of exams before heading home for Christmas.

Last night, the video was slammed by fellow students.

London Mayor Boris Johnson with daughter Lara Johnson

Student Union president Freddie fforde, 23, works hard to widen access to St Andrews, including being involved in the provision of charitable bursaries for poorer students.

He said: “The video was a disgrace and has incensed many here. It’s not a true reflection of life at St Andrews.

“Our biggest barrier when trying to recruit new students is the belief St Andrews is only for the upper class and privileged, We work tirelessly to confront that stigma and stupid, infantile pranks like this ruin much hard work.”

Student David Patterson, 20, from Glasgow, said: “It’s a real shame because the film does not represent the type of student we have here. These were seven teenagers who made a big mistake.”

Mature student Linda Gibson, 28, from Dundee, said: “Those involved are deeply remorseful. Growing up is all about making mistakes and learning from them. This group has learned a valuable lesson.”

Shelley Talbot, 21, added: “This is not what St Andrews is about. Those involved make up less than 1/1000th of the population here.

“More people watched a charity single that some of our students posted online than this ridiculous video.”

St Andrews Community Council chairman Kyffin Roberts also said the video did not reflect the nature of most students in the town.

He said: “We hold a large number of charity events each year that students support. Without their help, it would be difficult to help more vulnerable people in the area as well as we do. The video was a piece of immature nonsense and I’m sure everyone involved regrets making it.”